Mystics, Servants, & Devils 12/16

General admission $25, Seniors $15 Ages 18 & under + music students FREE at UCC

A week before Winter Solstice, NOCCO presents an exceptional program that contrasts the old and the new, the magical and the devotional, pairing mystic sonorities with intricate counterpoints. Jim Knapp, Seattle composer and professor emeritus of Cornish College of the Arts, is premiering his newest work, commissioned by NOCCO. Expect gorgeous harmonies, pathos, and wily touches of humor. Arvo Pärt’s Fratres from 1977 (in the version for winds and percussion), provides a quiet, contemplative gateway into the unique sound world of this Eastern Orthodox believer. The thrilling, emotional Brandenburg Concerto #1 by J.S. Bach, a man likewise devoted to God, is in fact his premiere calling card for a better job in this world. And Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale (1918) is a rip-roaring, surrealist ride via “reciting, playing, and dance” that sealed its composer’s reputation as a giant of 20th century art music.